Currently, there exist a number of electric powered trolling motors for use with small boats, in particular fishing or bass boats. Typically, the trolling motor is mounted on top of the deck at or adjacent the bow of the fishing or bass boat.
The conventional trolling motor includes a mounting plate, which is fastened to the deck of the boat. The drive unit is pivotably connected to the mounting unit so that the drive unit can be lifted upward out of the water and pivoted by a pull cord connected to the mounting unit so that the drive unit lays down flat on top of the deck of the boat for storage. To place the drive unit back in the water, the user again pulls upwardly on the pull cord to lift and pivot the drive unit down into the water.
The drive unit includes an upper steering unit connected to an upper end of a fixed length support shaft, and a lower drive unit connected to a lower end of the same shaft. The shaft is pivotably mounted to the mounting unit.
An electric battery (e.g. 6 volt, 12 volt, 24 volt, 36 volt) is electrically connected to a foot pedal control unit mounted on the top of the deck of the fishing or bass boat. A control cable extends from the foot pedal control unit to the upper steering unit of the drive unit. The foot pedal control unit controls both the steering of the drive unit, off/on of the drive unit, forward/reverse of the drive unit, and the power level of the drive unit.